My mom has been trying to remember a book she read back in the early 70's in paperback (so clearly the book was published prior to say..75. She thinks it may have been bantam or doubleday, but anyways...for years she has tried to remember the book but cannot.
It seemed to begin after some sort of an explosion or nuclear holocaust...that basically ended life as we know it. A band of survivors it followed (there's no electricity, communications, signs of anyone else being alive in the world..etc).
She thinks it may have begun with them in a car on a highway trying to get to a safe place (uncertain, however) - revolving around a family (or small group of people), and an old man that seems to be wise they come across at some point...either searching for the meaning of life or how important it is to continue learning about life. Slight possibility "earth" is in the title, however she may be confusing the title with another favorite book of her's "the good earth"
Apocolyptic theme nonetheless..survivalist sci-fi kind of a book. Anyhow I know it's a vague attempt but she would love to find this book again and I thought maybe you guys might have some ideas..since there seems to be a really bright crowed here who has done alot of reading :)
Perhaps even a searchable book database somewhere online if anything. Thanks!
Post Edited (01-25-04 19:35)
Does it take place in Australia? Cause there is a book like that (I forgot the title) that takes place in the Land Down Under.
possibly "The Quiet Earth"?
No it doesn't look like the Quiet Earth (it's possible earth isn't in the title..somehow that got stuck in her mind but as you can see it's been 30 years since she read it). She just remembers it being a group of people at the beginning..small group I guess. I would love to be able to find this book for her again even tho such little information has been provided on it. ;-/ Thanks for the input, any ideas may help me on the search
Maybe it'll ring a bell for someone
I've never used them myself, but if I'm not mistaken, there is a book search forum on Amazon when you can ask for help IDing book titles. At least there was a long time ago when I looked. No guarantee that they can come up with the title either, but it seems like a good place to ask.
Also, you might improve your chances if you also posted to a couple of book-themed newsgroups. There's alt.books as well as a slew of subcategories like alt.books.mysteries, also rec.arts.books seems a likely place. I haven't ever read any of these newsgroups so I don't know how active they are or how knowledgable the people in them are. If Compuserve provides "newsgroups" or "Usenet", you should find them there. If not, there's a free service you can sign up with;
Teranews (http://www.teranews.com)
They charge $3.95 to join, but it's free after that with a 50mb a day download limit (aimed at binary downloaders). Outlook Express, although being a crappy, outdated program, should suffice for reading text groups.
Finally, I just did a quick search and found this site;
Book Chat Central (http://pub104.ezboard.com/bbookchatcentral)
It appears to be a discussion site devoted to books.
I read a book that was called " Swan Song". The author was MacDonald I believe ..I am not sure of his first name. This book reminded me of Stepen Kings "The Stand". It was a really good book. It sounds like the one you might be searching for.
"Swan Song" By Robert McCammon
I'm pretty sure Swan Song is much more recent, maybe mid-1980's or so. A friend bought it I think not long after it was first released and I borrowed it.
It starts with a nuclear war and a few people survive, including some who are (if I remember correctly) in the basement at a gas station when it happens. The book mainly follows a little girl named Swan who kind of becomes the symbol for good. There's also a mysterious bad guy with supernatural powers who of course wants to do away with the good guys. One of the major events in the book is that some all?) the survivors start to develope a weird condition where they grow hard, scale-like plates on their face. It did remind me a lot of The Stand.
I read a book that sounds vaguely like that, the people called the pre-apocalypse US as the Weuns or Weians (US = us = we). Don't think I still have the book, traded a bunch in before the last move. It's definitely not Hiero's Journey (though that is a good book too).
perhaps its "Alas Babylon" a book that i read in High school. The theme seems familiar to the movie "The Day after"
The Stand was also the first book that sprung to my mind.
And it was written in the 70's.
You said, "She thinks it may have begun with them in a car on a highway trying to get to a safe place (uncertain, however) - revolving around a family (or small group of people)"
That would be correct because after the guy escapes in the beginning from the military facility that the virus is released from, he rouses his wife and baby from sleep and quickly takes off with them in the car to get as far away as possible.
They don't get very far after they all die in the car from the virus and crash into a gas station.
I'll bet that's the book.
Post Edited (01-26-04 18:27)
Thanks everyone for the suggestions. I don't think it was "The Stand" because she is positive no virus was involved (in fact she has read the stand). Swan Song - it would depend on it's original release, she read this book in the early 70's.
I suggested "Alas, Babylon" to her but she does not feel this was the book..i remember reading it in high school but forgot it already. She used to read alot of paperback books in those days..the kind that would list other books "you might like" by the publishing company in the back. It's highly frustrating since the likely candidates she has dismissed